Parallel Mystery
by AtEquilibrium
Summary: To die and to live again. After reigning as a Mafia boss for ten years, Tsunayoshi Sawada was suddenly killed on-duty. For whatever reasons he found himself reborn into a world where his brother is destined to become the Decimo. Now Tsuna must discover his purpose in this world where everything is different and possibly, return home.
1. Prologue

Most Vongola bosses didn't live to reach their fifties. Tsuna was well-aware of the fact when he finally accepted the title Decimo and began his reign. Nono was luckier than him in a sense; his grandfather had been on less turbulent times. However with the development of newer ways to cause destruction, Tsunayoshi Sawada had a lot on his plate.

So while everyone else was surprised – horrified, to learn that the Neo Vongola Primo was dead at thirty five – Tsuna felt relieved. His intuition had told him his time had come, and he had only seconds to process the information before a bullet pierced through his skull.

It was at least a clean way to go.

His guardians blamed themselves. Reborn had brought the news, walking unsteadily as he clutched his fedora to his chest, and while everyone pretended not to see, they could clearly see the hitman's hands shaking uncontrollably.

The whole manor had collapsed in chaos.

Tsuna had but only a young child with his wife, Kyoko. Even his mother didn't have gray hair yet.

It was not really anyone's fault. Death had its way of evading pesky alarms, and it had successfully fooled Yuni and Tsuna's hyper intuition.

It was supposed to be an easy mission.

Well, it _was_.

It was something he had undertaken because he was too bored from being stuck inside. The mission wasn't even on his to-do list.

And It wasn't as if anyone was actively plotting his murder.

Tsuna had even promised to buy some ice-cream for Lambo and I-pin on the way back. And maybe even a cup of espresso from his favorite café for Reborn.

There was not only the emotional struggle, but also the question of who would take the throne then. It could very well mean the end of Vongola with the youngest boss's untimely demise.

"_Tsunayoshi-kun isn't dead,"_

Said Byakuran, closing his eyes as he squashed a piece of marshmellow in between his fingers.

"What did you just say?" Gokudera snarled, marching up to him. Byakuran let himself be dragged up by the collar. The whole room watched them in pin drop silence.

"_But you might… never see him again." _Byakuran mumbled, opening his eyes. They seemed to be looking far, far away.

* * *

"Tsu-kun! Have another piece of omelette!"

"No mama. I'm fine." Tsuna said with a slight smile and pushed himself off of his chair, struggling a little because of his height. "Thank you for the meal." Nana huffed.

"You're a growing boy, Tsu-kun! You shouldn't be eating so less."

"Yes, yes." He nodded along, taking his tiny plate carefully to the sink and ran the tap. Washing the dish he placed it on the drying rack.

Tsuna wiped his hands on his shirt and turned to Nana. "Mama, I'm going to my room, okay? Let me know if you need something." With a nod from his mother he bounded up the stairs. Soon the door opened and shut softly.

"I wonder if I'm raising him wrong," Nana said to herself sadly, "Why does he act so quiet…? I really wished Tsu-kun would smile a little bit more."

Little did she know, her 'son' was actually her age despite being stuck in a tiny, defenseless body. Tsuna felt as after all those years he could finally see from Reborn's perspective. It was immensely frustrating, and not at all pleasant.

He wasn't happy to be given a new beginning.

He preffered dying to be a better alternative.

Initially when Tsuna found himself stuck in the body of an infant – immobile, helpless, frail and entirely on the mercy of the world, he considered throwing himself down the cot just to be out of the misery. However one look at Nana's happy face would make him reconsider his decisions.

Tsuna was utterly miserable, frustrated and distressed. Ten years of time had eased his pain somehow, but whenever he was alone he remembered the home he could never return to. He missed his baby boy, his wife, mama, his guardians and Reborn. Tsuna knew they blamed themselves for his death, and he wanted nothing more than to tell them he was _okay_.

In this world he also had a new development.

He had a _brother_.

A fourteen year old brother named Ieyoshi who absolutely adored him. Tsuna loved him too. It was an odd feeling to have a sibling – and it also signified this world's events would not run as his timeline did.

Tsuna was glad that Ieyoshi wasn't clumsy and useless as he was back then. The boy was athletic and smart, and brought a mini group of friends with him whenever he returned from school. Compared to him Tsuna liked spending his time indoors; by reading books or watching documentaries. Nana called him an 'old man' – a title that always made him laugh strangely.

_Again. _Tsuna thought, placing his book down and ran a hand over his forehead. He was breaking out in sweats. His stomach had been tingling oddly for the past couple of days. It churned grossly whenever he ate something and he wanted to throw up. Tsuna could almost say it was the hyper intuition returning save that he also ran a high fever. _I thought I wasn't sick anymore._

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Nana peeked through a moment later, worry shining on her features. "Tsu-kun! What's wrong? Oh no – your forehead is warm again!"

"It's nothing, mama!" Tsuna said quickly, waving her hand away. Nana paid no heed to him and forced a thermometer inside his mouth.

"Hush, Tsu-kun! I'm your mother. I know when you're sick." She chided him gently. The device read a temperature of 100 degrees. "Ah, thank goodness, it's not that high…"

"See? I told you. I'm fine."

"Hmm… Ah, Tsu-kun, I actually came here to show you something!" Nana said brightly.

Tsuna blinked. "What is it?" He asked curiously. In reply, Nana pulled out a previously-discarded leaflet and held it in front of him.

His blood ran cold at the sight.

"See, Tsu-kun! I found this in the mail-box this morning! It's an advert for a home tutor. I mean, both of you are good students, I know – but I bet Ie-kun can use a little bit more help. The tutor wants only a place to stay. It's such a great offer! Do you want to read with him, as well?"

Tsuna's mouth was dry. Blood rushed to his ears, making him feel lightheaded like the whole world around him was spinning. His heart was pounding so hard it was like he would have a heart attack.

"What… _What_ did you just say?"


	2. Not Mine Anymore

As Tsuna stared at the gaudy pamphlet that seemed so painfully familiar, he felt a lump in his throat. His eyes burned as tears threatened to spill out. It was only by his terribly strong resolve that Tsuna composed himself within a milisecond and looked away, biting down on his lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

"Tsu-kun? What do you think?" Nana asked again, oblivious to the internal struggle going on in front of her.

"I…" He started to speak, but didn't know what to say. "I-I think it's a good chance too, mama."

"Mm! I'll ask Ie-kun when he returns from the park. Ah that boy never stays home, does he?" Nana said, half to herself and half to Tsuna, and stood up. "Okay, Tsu-kun, you take some rest, and I'll manage the tutor… Now where to place him…"

Tsuna watched her go, and as soon as the door shut behind her he felt the control slipping away.

His visions blurring, Tsuna broke into choked sobs. It hurt so much. His face twisted painfully, and he just couldn't…  
Tsuna dug his palms into his face. So many repressed memories were coming back at once.

'_Ciaossu!'_

Their first meeting, those hellish weeks of training, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Onii-san, Lambo, I-pin, Fuuta, Dino-san, Mukuro, Chrome, Hibari-san, Bianchi, Fuuta, the arcobaleno, Varia and Millefiore…

'_My name is Reborn._

_I'm the greatest hitman of the world.' _

"Why me, God? Just … why _me_?"

In these long years Tsuna had finally recouncilled with the fact of never seeing his family again. He had never even bothered with finding out anything about the Mafia. Now with this single letter his whole world had come crashing down.

'_I'm going to train you to become the Tenth boss of Vongola.'_

He would see them again, only to be faced with aloofness and unfamiliarity. They would look the same, they would speak the same, they would act the same… but only they wouldn't be _his _anymore. They wouldn't know him anymore. Only Tsuna knew what a horrid battle he'd faced with seeing Nana everyday. At least he was still her son.

'_Dame-Tsuna. Get up in five minutes or I will blow a hole through your head.'_

Now Reborn wouldn't even be _his_ tutor anymore. He'd have to see _them_ being the elements of some _other_ sky. Tsuna chuckled mirthlessly. Now, was he being jealous? Of _Ieyoshi_? That was ridiculous. It wasn't even his place in this world.

Tsuna heard the doorbell ring and a moment later the voice of Ieyoshi saying that he was home. He quickly straightened up, wiping away the ugly tears. His brother was very perceptive. Tsuna took a look at himself in the mirror. He looked bad already. Pretending it to be fever would be no good…

'_A Mafia Boss should never be weak.'_

He shook his head and took a deep breath. He could do this. Stretching his ears he could roughly hear Ieyoshi and Nana talking about the tutor. Naturally, his brother didn't seem very enthusiastic about the deal about a stranger residing in their house – and yelled about how much it seemed like a scam.

Tsuna laughed softly at that. He felt nostalgic about his own reaction. Ah, Ieyoshi was in for a hell of a ride, wasn't he?

Ieyoshi burst in a moment later. "Agh, Tsuna! Did you hear that mama is getting a home tutor for us?" He rambled, pulling on his messy black locks. "That is a hundred percent scam! Seriously, she trusts people way too much! And it's not even like I don't study! I have good grades! I don't need a home tutor!"

Tsuna couldn't hide his smile. "Right. That's what I told her." He lied smoothly. Ieyoshi pouted.

"Lil' bro! Why do you seem so unconcerned!?" He ranted, grabbing and shaking Tsuna by his shoulder. "Wait, have you been… crying?" Ieyoshi asked out of the blue, staring intently into his red, puffy eyes.

Tsuna felt like a deer caught in headlights. He quickly shook his head. "N-no? Not at all!" He said, "Just the fever acting up is all!"

"Uh, you seem way too suspicious –"

Conveniently, almost too conveniently, the doorbell rang a second time, snapping the Sawada boys out of their thoughts. Tsuna's senses started to go haywire again, and he knew exactly who was outside the house.

"Ara, Ie-kun, could you get the door, please? My hands are a bit full right now!" Nana called out.

"Okay!" Ieyoshi said, letting Tsuna go and climbed unsuspectingly down the staircase. Tsuna's legs felt like jelly. It almost felt like a movie – he could truly see things go in slow motion. His heart fluttered, and he couldn't pull himself out of a stupor to follow his brother.

_I don't know what to say…_

_And – and I don't know what to do…_

_What if I mess things up-!_

"Chaos." He heard a smooth, low voice come from downstairs. "I'm the home tutor, Reborn."

Wait, that wasn't possible. It sounded so different. It was like –

Tsuna practically threw himself down. His legs were shaking. Heck, he was shaking all over. The air was knocked out of his lungs as Tsuna missed the last step and crashed on the wooden floor. Tsuna winced loudly. However the action had drawn the attention of all the occupants upon him.

"Ah, Tsu-kun! Are you hurt!?" Nana called out fearfully, running and crouching beside him. Tsuna looked up.

The familiar orange rimmed fedora sat upon his head, casting a mysterious shadow over the face as curly sideburns poked out elegantly. A green chameleon nestled comfortably in the brim, its tongue flicking periodically. A neatly tailored black suit over a yellow shirt clung to the lean, tall figure that exuded both calm and confidence alongside a grave aura of danger. His black, expressionless gaze was trained on Tsuna, sharp eyes piercing through his very soul.

It was only Primo's famed intuition that rescued him last instant, for Tsuna quickly masked his true emotions behind a façade of surprise and confusion, and stood up. He could swear that the whole world could hear the drumming going on inside his chest.

"I'm f-fine, mama. And uh… who's he?"

"Ah! He's Mr. Reborn! He's going to be Ie-kun and your home tutor from now on! Isn't that right?"

"Yep." Reborn replied cooly. "I'm going to train Ieyoshi to become the tenth boss of Vongola."

Ah… That hurt more than Tsuna thought it would. He struggled to maintain a straight face.

"Wait – I didn't even agree to this!" Ieyoshi shouted in confusion, worried for his mother's sanity. He placed himself between the hitman and Nana. "This guy just wandered out of nowhere! We don't even know anything about him – and you're just letting him stay? And what's this crap about Vongola –"

"Shut up, Idiot Ieyoshi." Reborn said before kicking the boy in his guts, making him tumble to the ground at least a few feet back. Tsuna grimaced slightly, feeling a bit better that he didn't have to go through the torture once more.

"That's right, Ie-kun! You should be more courteous to your tutor." Nana said reproachfully, apparently unconcerned that her child had just been assaulted by a stranger. She then beamed at Reborn, "Please come this way, Mr. Reborn, would you like a cup of tea? I haven't had the chance to prepare a room for you, yet. So –"

"About that," Reborn interrupted, "I'll be staying in Ieyoshi's room. No need to have a separate room for me. And if possible, I would like a cup of coffee, please."

"Of course, of course! No trouble at all!" Nana said happily, clasping her hands together as she led Reborn to the sitting room. "With or without milk, Mr. Reborn?"

"Wait, _what_?" Ieyoshi sat up, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain. "Tsuna, do you believe that mama just –"

"He can still hear you, nii-san." Tsuna whispered, holding a finger over his lips. Ieyoshi blinked.

"Huh?"

"Let's just go to our room for now."

"I swear, both of you have gone crazy – _ouch_!" Ieyoshi hissed, his stomach muscles burning. Tsuna helped him stand. But thankfully he just followed Tsuna upstairs without much hassle.

Meanwhile Tsuna was in deep thought.

Reborn wasn't a baby anymore. That was a big, big deviation.

What did that mean? Then was Reborn not a Sun Arcobaleno anymore? But the Trinisette was bound to exist in this world as well. Or did the curse not turn him into an infant? Was that even possible? Did they already create the antidote for the curse here?

He only knew one thing for certain.

This world was going to be very different that his own.

But despite that, Tsuna couldn't help the sad smile from creeping up on his face.


	3. Settled In

Tsuna sat with his back against the wall, listening to the conversation between Reborn and Ieyoshi sitting on opposing beds. Well, it was practically one-sided as his brother watched Reborn sprout sentences that seemed incredulous by civillian standards.

The history was thankfully same, with minor changes that didn't matter to him.

"So… the synopsis is that I'm the only remaining heir to this 'Mafia familliga' called Vongola, which also happens to be the strongest Mafia family in the world, and you happen to be the greatest er, hitman in the world and you're going to tutor me to become the successor to this… Vongola thing." Ieyoshi deadpanned, his arms crossed over his chest as he faced Reborn sitting on Tsuna's bed. "Is that about right?"

"Correct." The hitman replied. Ieyoshi scratched the side of his face for a moment.

"Have you… ever considered seeing like, a psycriatist, Mr. Reborn?" He finally said, leaning closer. "Actually the father of one of my friends is quite famous. If you want I can refer you to him – He'll even give you a discount."

_Oh no, Ieyoshi. _Tsuna gritted his teeth and tightly shut his eyes, anticipating the horrible torture that was certainly going to follow. And it did.

Next thing he knew there was a fuming hole on their wall – maybe three, and Ieyoshi was writhing on the ground holding his head as Reborn stood over him with the Leon-transformed-gun in his hand.

"Care to repeat that again," Reborn said with a dangerous smirk, "Dame-Ieyoshi?"

"N-no…" Ieyoshi muttered painfully.

"Thought so."

"Uhh, maybe we can resolve this peacefully?" Tsuna said with a nervous smile, holding up his hands in sign of submission. He took pity on Ieyoshi – adult Reborn was a whole another level of sadist, after all. "I mean – even if you're speaking the truth – it is alright to take it with a healthy dose of suspicion, is it not?" He continued, trying hard not to fidget under Reborn's pinning gaze. He had been under much of it in his previous life, however this stare was different. It tried to gauze him; it was strange, cold and uncalculating.

Thankfully, the hitman decided to spare him this time. Instead Reborn hummed, allowing his brother to get up and continue.

"Well, what if I don't want to be part of your cult?" Ieyoshi asked with narrowed eyes, still cradling his bruised arm.

"One, you don't have a choice. And two – it's not a 'cult'. Finally, as I said, your father is the head of CEDEF – the external advisor to the Vongola family. You can't evade the Mafia anyway."

"This is crazy!"

For the upteenth time Tsuna stopped himself from butting in the conversation. Even though he felt strangely compelled to ease the initial shock of his brother, he had to remember that it was necessary for Ieyoshi to get used to the surprise and go through painstacking training if he wanted to succeed Vongola. Well, not _everything_, but still…

"Um, excuse me." Tsuna said and got up, feeling suffocated. _Click. _Tsuna stopped without turning around.

"And where do you think you are you going, dame-Tsuna?"

"Just getting some fresh air, Reborn-san." He replied truthfully, trying his hardest not to show the giddy feeling bubbling up his chest from being called the nostalgic nickname.

"Wait! Take me with you." Ieyoshi said, almost pleadingly. However the moment his feet touched the ground, Reborn shot another bullet, which ricocheted against the floor and flew past Tsuna, hitting the wall and dropping down at his feet. Ieyoshi screeched.

Tsuna touched his right cheek, which was bleeding lightly. His lips slightly upturned, he said, "I've heard this new café makes amazing espresso, Reborn-san. And I was _really_ hoping to check that out. But if you say so, I guess I won't –"

"You have five seconds to get out of the house, dame-Tsuna." _One._

Tsuna swiftly turned, grabbed his brother by his arm, and bolted. Pulling his fedora down, Reborn observed the duo with calculating eyes as Leon gently licked his cheek.

"This is going to be interesting, Leon." He said with a glimmer of manic delight and jumped down.

"_Mom, we're going out!"_

"_Okay, Tsu-kun, Ie-kun! Be back before lunch, though!"_

* * *

After making the duo of brothers run for their lives for half-an-hour by shooting random bullets all around town, Reborn allowed a small break when they reached the destined café.

Sweating, smoking and more than slightly disheveled Ieyoshi went forward to place their orders, while Tsuna sat down on a chair, panting. Reborn occupied the chair beside him, looking very out-of-place with his all-black outfit, but nevertheless attracting the attention of all the female patrons in the café – alongside the angry glare of their partners. However he seemed to be enjoying all the attention.

Tsuna smiled. Typical Reborn.

"Ah, Ieyoshi-kun! Good morning!" A heavenly voice made Tsuna snap up. It was Kyoko-chan. Even after all these years, he couldn't help a light blush covering his cheeks whenever he saw her.

The beautiful orange-haired girl was with her friends, Hana and Miura Haru, and she had stood up after spotting Ieyoshi, smiling warmly. The latter had a much more noticeable reaction, as he fumbled to greet the idol of Nami-middle, trying to discreetly remove the numerous leaves stuck to his hair.

"G-good morning, Kyoko-chan! W-What are you doing here-!? Er, I mean how are you…?"

Reborn clicked his tongue. "He's _hopeless_."

Tsuna grinned at his brother's antics.

"I'm doing well! We just wanted to check out this café, you see! It has really good cakes."

"I-I see…" Ieyoshi gave her a strained smile, rubbing the back of his head. He mouthed to Tsuna '_Just my luck'. _Tsuna wholeheartedly agreed. Kyoko looked in their direction, and brightened up. She waved at Tsuna, coming over with a smile.

"Tsuna-kun! You're here too! Are your studies going well?"

"Yes, they are, Kyoko-chan." Tsuna said with a disarming smile of his own. To her, he was only her classmate's little brother. Then Kyoko noticed the fedora-wearing hitman and greeted him politely.

"Oh, and Kyoko-chan, meet Reborn –" Tsuna said, noticing the gesture, "He's our… home tutor."

"Chaos," Reborn replied with a tip of his fedora. The slight reddening of her face didn't miss Tsuna's trained eyes, and it made him want to feel both jealous and crack up at the same time.

"Nice to meet you, Reborn-san!" She said, "So, um, enjoy yourselves. I'll see you around, Ieyoshi-kun, Tsuna-kun!"

"Y-yeah…" Ieyoshi piped in, having returning with their tray of food from the counter. He distributed the food – a coffee and a bowl of penne for Reborn, a salisbury steak for Tsuna and for himself. He then sat down uncomfortably. Tsuna, on the other hand, began eating quite contentedly.

Ieyoshi stared at his little brother, wondering if Tsuna was just dense or _that_ fearless. Concluding it to be the former, he started gingerly palating the food only to choke embarrasingly when he felt Reborn's eyes on him.

"There, there." Tsuna pushed a glass of water towards him, consoling with a tinge of amusement in his voice. Reborn watched the exchange silently.

Nana had somehow managed to purchase and set up a bunk bed for the brothers' to share, and had declared Tsuna's bed to be Reborn's property - all before they returned home. Ieyoshi wanted to complain, except the numerous bruises decorating his body seemed to convince him otherwise. Tsuna felt proud. His brother was finally learning!

But now that he thought back, he couldn't deny that having another full grown man sleep in the same room was nothing sort of awkward. And to think he treated Reborn like a little kid for all that long...

* * *

It was soon nightfall, but not too soon for the elder brother who had to put through Reborn's many traps and gunshots and threats each time he made even the tiniest mistakes in homework, or just because the hitman 'felt so'. He was even more flabbergasted when Nana gushed over his teaching methods, asking him where he got such 'realistic toy guns' and Ieyoshi wanted to scream out that all of it was _REAL_.

Of course, Tsuna wasn't exempt from the hell either, but he dealt with it in a much more accepting and calmer way. As the brunet pretended to be surprised and fearful dodging mallets thrown at his head, he was actually grinning ear-to-ear when he thought nobody was looking. His heart felt at ease, and he was ecstatic, to say the least. He even made willful mistakes to just get hit with the hammer.

Tsuna even gladly offered his portion of chicken to Reborn at dinner, much to the dismay of his brother, who was infuriated at getting half his dinner vanished and ending up on the hitman's plate.

Now, only Tsuna and Reborn remained in the bedroom while Ieyoshi helped his mother clean up. The former occupied the lower bunk bed, reading a novel absentmindedly while Reborn sat on his own bed, up with his back propped with a pillow, also flipping through a book of his own. He had rested his fedora on the side table, allowing his curly hair to spring free, and also had discarded the formal attire for a much more casual outfit for sleeping.

Whenever he closed his eyes the brunet could feel the familiar sun flames emanating from Reborn. If he could be honest with himself, Tsuna wanted nothing more than to run up and wrap his arms around his father-figure and break into a thousand tears – but that was impossible.

Suddenly his intuition flared up, and Tsuna rolled to his side just in time to dodge the book that was previously in Reborn's hand. "What the –"

The hitman was looking at him with an unreadable face. "Nice reflexes." He said monotonously.

"Ah… oops?" Tsuna said, laughing nervously as he rubbed his neck. He didn't want to screw up already. He picked up the fallen book and offered it to Reborn, "Here…?"

Reborn took it. "How old are you, Tsuna?" He asked out of the blue.

_Fourty-seven. _"I'm… twelve." Tsuna replied with a raised eyebrow. "I think dad already mentioned that in the file."

"Hmpf." Reborn sneered. "I know better than to trust that idiot's words."

Tsuna turned away, shrugging. "You don't act twelve," Reborn said again, pressingly.

"I don't, do I?" He said, not deterred by the hitman's words. "Who knows, maybe I'm an alien from a parallel world?"

"Trying to be a smartass?"

"Not at all, _oji-san,_" Tsuna flashed him a blinding smile. "Goodnight!" He instantly threw the covers over himself, narrowly evading a stream of bullets flying above his head.


	4. Progression

Tsuna's eyes fluttered open before the faintest rays of the sun had coursed through the window. He glanced at the bedside clock which read 5:00 AM, and pushed himself soundlessly off the bed. Yawning as he stretched his limbs, he noticed Reborn's bed to be empty already.

Ieyoshi was still sleeping. Previously he had never noticed how early Reborn woke up. Pulling over a hoodie and putting on his slippers, Tsuna tiptoed to the washroom to get refreshed. It had become his habit for about a year now – wake up at dawn, go for a morning jog around the town, practice on his flames and return before either mama or Ieyoshi woke up.

As he reached the front door, Tsuna grinned, feeling a stare burning into his back. He crouched down to put on his sneakers, and asked as he tied the shoes, "Good morning, Reborn-san. Did you sleep well last night?"

"I did," came Reborn's amused reply. "Where are you going?"

"For a jog. Do you want to join me?" Tsuna asked with a smile, facing him. The hitman raised one eyebrow, pondering the question for a moment. He then answered with an almost undetectable shrug. Tsuna's smile widened. He unlocked the door and motioned Reborn to go first, staying behind to lock the door.

"Do you jog everyday?" Reborn asked, easily keeping pace with him only by walking languidly. Tsuna, of course, was running at a much slower speed today to avoid suspicion; not to mention his tiny body.

"Yep."

"Why?"

"Well… um, it feels nice, I guess." Tsuna said. Reborn hummed to himself, not questioning why a twelve year old was so much into fitness and not into sleeping. "You'll let Ieyoshi sleep in, right?"

"For a little bit." The hitman smirked. "But only for today. Can't let that idiot fall behind his younger brother after all."

"Come on, now, give him a break." Tsuna said with a small smile still lingering on his lips.

Soon there was a comfortable silence between the duo as they jogged across the empty roads. Tsuna felt himself relax, relishing in the familiar sun flames pulsating around him, lapping to his still-hidden sky flames. The situation was really ironic – Tsuna reached only about Reborn's waist, while the hitman towered over him.

Going on auto-pilot, Tsuna caught himself just before turning the corner to the clearing where he had been training his flames and suspiciously whirled around, taking the other bend.

"What's in that way?" Reborn asked, obviously. Tsuna shrugged.

"A dead end. This way leads back home," He explained in a half-truth. However the explanation only helped in rising his curiosity.

"No, we're going that way." Reborn said, aiming a kick at Tsuna which the boy dodged with unnatural ease.

Tsuna looked at him and sighed. "Okay… let's go." _There goes my secret. Why can't I hide anything from Reborn!?_

Reborn looked like he was a bit surprised at his agreeablity. Tsuna shook his shoulders and chuckled, "It isn't like you'd stop if I said no, is it?" He asked.

"That's right."

Tsuna led the way, feeling uncomfortable for Reborn's reaction when he would see the scene…

The cemented path merged into earthen ground, to where was indeed a small clearing, bordered by tall trees into a small forest. However the grass on the ground was scorched so badly there was nothing left; distinct char marks adorned every tree, with a few branches burned off till their tips.

It didn't take the hitman more than a few moments to discover the type of flame that had caused such destruction.

"Sky flames," Reborn said with a hint of surprise tugging in his tone, "…Have you already awkened your flames?"

Tsuna awkwardly scratched his face. "Y-yeah…"

"How did you undo the seal?"

Well, he wasn't going to tell Reborn that nono's seal had never worked on him as his own flame resistance was higher than what Ninth thought to be. It was enough for an untrained child, but for a former-mafia-boss and parallel-world-traveller Tsuna it was little more than a cute nudge. He had fooled him quite nicely.

"What seal?" He feigned innocence, which wasn't hard to believe as the memory was 'wiped out' from their mind.

"Nevermind." Reborn said. "I want to see them."

Tsuna nodded softly. There wasn't any backing out now. He took a deep breath and held his hands in front of him, curling and uncurling them slowly. His eyelids closed, Tsuna let himself be harmonized with his soul. The gentle flames pulsed across his body, coursing through his blood, flowing like water, gathering and combining into one before bursting into existance over his open palms.

Tsuna opened his eyes. Even though he couldn't see himself, he knew they had turned a distinct orange hue, and he felt a comforting heat over his forehead. He turned around, and gave a soft smile at Reborn, unsure what else to do.

The hitman pulled his fedora lower to mask his astonishment at the power this young child was displaying. He knew – he could feel the purity of the flames. He was not only able to go to hyper dying will mode – but displayed a high level of control over his flames.

How come nobody had any knowledge of this…?

"If you're wondering," Tsuna said sheepishly, coming out of dying will mode and extinguishing the flames, "Nobody else knows, really. And dad hasn't come home in a long time so he has no idea. At all."

"Apparently," Reborn said darkly. "How long?"

"Eto…" Tsuna mumbled, blinking as he tried to remember how many years it had been. "I think I've been actively practicing sky flames for two years."

"And you were taught by whom?"

_You. _"I-I kinda figured it out by myself… and went on from there. Er, and such… you know."

Reborn narrowed his eyes. "Yet you know these are called sky flames,"

Tsuna looked like a dear caught in a red light. Reborn took a threatening step towards him.

"Who are you really, _Sawada_ _Tsunayoshi_?"

Uh oh. Even the Baby-Spartan-devil didn't call him by full name.

"Now, now – w-what are you trying to say?" Tsuna grinned nervously, backing up as Reborn rapidly progressed towards him. "R-Reborn-san! Calm d-down!"

"If you're taking me for a damn fool, Dame-Tsuna, I assure you that isn't going to end well –"

Suddenly there was sharp whish and a glint of metal, and only miliseconds before both trained men jumped back. Tsuna stared wide eyed at a familiar weapon which now rested at the foot of the tree after hitting it and recoiling.

It was a tonfa.

"Herbivores. You're crowding." Spoke a cold voice.

"H-Hibari-san!" Tsuna gasped – almost relivedly might he say – and stumbled back.

However Hibari Kyoya was none too pleased to see an unfamiliar foreigner standing before him, emitting a dangerous aura. "And who are you… omnivore?"

Tsuna grinned to himself. _Kyoya called Reborn an omnivore. Pfft. _

Reborn wasn't given a chance to reply, because Hibari launched himself at him. "Fight me." He snarled.

"I'll take it as my cue to leave." Tsuna mumbled, speeding away as fast as he could from the scene.

* * *

**A/N: Short, I know. Please review? It's really disheartening when I see my story has over 1k views and tons of follows but only 8 reviews. Let me know even if you think the story sucks. I love reading your reviews! Really, these are like my soul-food. Without them I feel super discouraged. :( **


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